Batman: Universe #1 is an issue of the series Batman: Universe (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 2019. It was published on July 10, 2019.
Synopsis for "Batman Universe, Part 1"
This story is reprinted from Batman Giant #3 and Batman Giant #4.
Alfred reminds Bruce how he's missing dinner with his guests, but he tells him it's too late and to keep them busy. He asks him to tell him about the Riddler's latest riddle and Alfred informs him it's "When is the Riddler not the Riddler?" Both of them agree it is quite mediocre for him.
Stating he's going to solve the case by his own skill rather than technology, Batman zips past a building to a hotel and asks Alfred if anyone at a hotel where the alarms are going off has been injured by the Riddler. Receiving a negative reply, Bruce suspects Nygma may be tricking him and lands near another building after hearing screams, but finds multiple film stuntmen dressed as the Riddler.
Spotting the real Riddler amidst the decoys, Batman dodges his bullet while fighting them. As Batman chases after him, the Riddler turns to fire his gun but is knocked through a restaurant's window by him before he can fire. Batman demands he tell him about the person he's stealing the Fabergé egg, taken on loan from a Russian museum, for. Nygma however repeatedly keeps stating "When is the Riddler not the Riddler?"
Batman suddenly spots a trio of light beams and is attacked by an energy blast, knocking him out. After he wakes up, he learns that the real Riddler escaped with the egg and that the stuntmen were hired under a false assurance of performing a show by a couple of people claiming to be producers. He tells Commissioner Gordon that the Riddler was doing someone else's bidding and learns from him about the museum's curator revealing the name of the original owner of the egg as Jonah Hex.
Batman later arrives in a small town of Texas while looking for Jinny hex, the great-great-granddaughter of Jonah Hex. Knowing that she donated the Fabergé egg to the Russian museum, he asks who gave it to her. She responds that it's a family possession and she gave it to the museum since no one was going to pay a high price for it, but refuses to tell him about any strange people visiting her.
Jinny states she knows the egg originally belonged to Jonah Hex but if he came here because it's stolen, she wasn't behind it. As he leaves, Batman tells her to inform her if she learns something. After learning about the Riddler's location, he travels to Amsterdam. Nygma who is at a club with Finn grows impatient, while waiting to meet a certain person, but gets assured he'll be safe.
Batman soon arrives at the club and is confronted by Deadshot, wh's been hired to keep the Riddler safe. The mercenary is eventually defeated, but he distracts Batman by stating Nygma is fleeing. Green Arrow however intervenes and knocks Deadshot out with knockout gas, while also capturing the Riddler.
Appearing in "Batman Universe, Part 1"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth (Voice Only)
- Commissioner Gordon
- Jinny Hex (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Deathstroke
- Finn
- The Riddler
Other Characters:
- Gotham City Police Department
- Green Arrow
- Jonah Hex (In a photograph only)
- Miriam (First appearance)
- Interpol (Mentioned only)
- The Joker (Mentioned only)
- Metropolis Special Crimes Unit (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Amsterdam
- Gotham City
- GCPD Headquarters
- Flugelheim Museum
- Wayne Manor (Mentioned only)
- Saint Petersburg (Mentioned only)
Items:
Vehicles: